Believe it or not
I know that some of us here tonight
find the experience of Church
really difficult.
Let me tell you
there are times when I myself find it really hard.
You only have to sit there
and can shut off if you want
But I have to stand up here
and try and make some sense of it.
Some days I feel tired, and/or depressed
some weeks I just think
life has been 'too hard this week'
What ever it is I believe
doesn’t seem to be working this week.
What ever I once seemed to know
from my childhood, youth and ministry
from last year, yesterday
Some days it seems different
As a friend and minister of Jesus
I need to tell all of us
believers or not
don’t make the mistake
of thinking that the Church is Jesus.
And don’t make the mistake of thinking
that it is the Church that is important.
Because one of the things that I DO know
is that it is Jesus that is important
So tonight I want us to think about Jesus!
I thought we could do this by thinking about the prayer Anima Christi...or Soul of Christ...we will sing it in a few moments
Remember that this prayer is the language of the 14th or 15th century
so, in a way, it needs to be translated...
the language is not quite the same
and our hard hearts
may not hear the powerful poetry
as we say
Water from the side of Christ, wash me
do we hear the power of this language
the water that issues from the wounds of the dying Christ
Let me enter the experience of death.
May the experience of Jesus make me drunk
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
May the food that Christ feeds me
transform my body
Body of Christ, save me
now what does this mean?
What ever else the experience of Jesus means
It does not mean Church!
It does not mean doctrine!
By and large it does NOT mean all those things which turn us off Christianity.
The key things that Jesus is on about are simple
Love...unconditional
Forgiveness...without end
Acceptance and openness....
As we hear the Anima Christi
try and decode it
to hear how it might speak to you.
Soul of Christ Sanctify me
...what do I want my soul to be like
Within thy wounds hide me
...what woundedeness of society, friendship and life
has impacted me and drives my life
That with thy Saints I may praise thee
who are the Saints the community of good people
who are supporting and calling you to live better lives
Can I, as an Evangelist, one who calls you to Christ
also at least name the possibility
that meaning, purpose, sense...what ever
that that is what is called Jesus
and invite us all
(however tentatively)
to come to Jesus tonight
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from the side of Christ, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Let me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That with thy Saints I may praise Thee
Forever and ever
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